NHL Central

For the first time, Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman publicly addressed the ongoing investigation into how the team handled sexual assault allegations against a former video coach.

"I do not condone or tolerate harassment or assault of any type," Bowman told reporters Thursday. "The Blackhawks have engaged an outside legal firm to conduct an investigation. ... For now, I have to respect the litigation and pending review. I'm not going to be able to make any comments about that."

The Blackhawks commissioned an independent review of the allegations, and Bowman said he's "going to give it my full cooperation."

He didn't confirm whether the results of the review will be released to the public.

In May, a former player filed a civil lawsuit, alleging he and a teammate were sexually assaulted by Brad Aldrich, who served as video coordinator for Chicago from 2008-10.

Another civil complaint was filed in May by a former high school hockey player in Michigan. The plaintiff said the Blackhawks displayed "utter indifference or conscious disregard for the safety of others" when it didn't make prospective employers aware of the allegations leveled against him when he worked with the team.

TSN's Rick Westhead reported on June 17 that Bowman took part in a May 2010 meeting that included then-president John McDonough and vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac. At that meeting, then-skills coach Paul Vincent said two players had come forward about their experiences with Aldrich.

"The players allegedly told Vincent that on separate occasions Aldrich had gotten them drunk in his apartment, watched pornography, and then tried to perform oral sex on them," Westhead reported.

The Blackhawks reportedly didn't forward the allegations to Chicago police despite Vincent suggesting they do so.

In addressing the first lawsuit, Blackhawks vice president of communications Adam Rogowin said the team took the matter "very seriously" and that the allegations against the organization "lack merit."

Bowman's failure to confirm whether the full review will be made public will likely leave some concerned.

"If you’re not committed to making the reports public, all you’re doing is managing a PR nightmare/crisis without actually doing anything meaningful," NHL agent Allan Walsh said to The Athletic in June.

Susan Loggans, who's representing the plaintiffs in the two lawsuits, said in June, "The statement that they will not agree to release the result of the investigation at this time makes me conclude that it is not independent."

Nashville Predators prospect Luke Prokop announced on social media Monday that he is gay:

"I am no longer scared to hide who I am," Prokop said. "Today I am proud to publicly tell everyone that I am gay. It has been quite the journey to get to this point in my life, but I could not be happier with my decision to come out."

The 19-year-old was a third-round pick by Nashville in the 2020 NHL draft and is yet to make his team debut, spending the past year in the WHL with the Calgary Hitmen.

If he reaches the NHL, he would be the first openly gay active player in league history.

Brock McGillis was the first professional hockey player to come out, but it was after his playing career, and he never appeared in the NHL, only spending time in the Ontario Hockey League and United Hockey League. 

Prokop is already under contract with the Predators, signing a three-year deal in December 2020. The defenseman totaled two goals and four assists in 15 WHL games during the shortened 2020-21 season for the Hitmen.

The Edmonton, Canada, native is hoping getting the weight off his shoulders will lead to even more success on the ice. 

"I think it’s been translating a lot into my summer and my summer training. I’ve noticed myself being a lot more confident on the ice," Prokop told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. "Being able to truly be who I am. This is the best I’ve ever felt in the summer and I think a large part of that is due to this process of me coming out."

He also told Emily Kaplan of ESPN that coming out would "ease his mind" after struggling last season.

The Predators and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman have already thrown their support behind Prokop with statements Monday:

"Very brave young man," Nashville GM David Poile told LeBrun. "It took a lot of courage. I’m proud that he did that. It’s got to be exciting for him to be taking this step. This is a big story and hopefully it helps and encourages others in similar situations. It’s a big deal."

The NHL also announced a $100,000 donation to LGBTQ+ organizations:

Prokop will hope to earn a role on the NHL squad in 2021-22 as the Predators look to improve upon last year's first-round playoff exit.

With Vladimir Tarasenko reportedly looking to leave the St. Louis Blues, the three-time All-Star could end up as a member of the Seattle Kraken. 

Per Frank Seravelli of DailyFaceoff.com, the Blues did not protect Tarasenko from the expansion draft that will take place July 21.  

Tarasenko's future with the Blues has been one of the most-discussed topics of the NHL offseason. 

The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford reported earlier this month that Tarasenko formally requested a trade because of his unhappiness with how the team handled two separate shoulder surgeries he had in 2018 and 2019. 

In a follow-up report this week, Rutherford noted that Tarasenko gave the Blues a list of 10 teams he wants to play for. 

That group includes the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Vegas Golden Knights, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers. 

Rutherford added Tarasenko trade talks are "complicated" right now because interested teams will want to see his medical records and because of his contract situation. 

The 29-year-old is owed $15 million with cap hits of $7.5 million in each of the next two seasons. 

According to Rutherford, the Lightning appear to be Tarasenko's preferred landing spot. Cap Friendly estimates the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions are $3.66 million over the cap right now. 

Leaving Tarasenko open to the expansion draft could solve St. Louis' problem of finding a landing spot for him, though the Blues wouldn't receive any compensation in return.

The Kraken would then have to determine if they want to keep Tarasenko—assuming he would even want to play for an expansion franchise—or try to flip him and acquire more assets that would benefit them long-term. 

Tarasenko has to prove he can still be a valuable contributor in the NHL. The former first-round pick has only appeared in 34 games over the past two seasons combined. He has scored 24 points and is minus-9 during that span.     

After spending the 2020-21 season searching for an impact defenseman, the Philadelphia Flyers found one by acquiring Ryan Ellis from the Nashville Predators as part of a three-team trade Saturday.

Ellis was traded for Nolan Patrick and Philippe Myers, and Patrick was rerouted to the Vegas Golden Knights for Cody Glass.

Per Cap Friendly on Twitter, trades and player signings were frozen Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, and 5 p.m. ET is the deadline for clubs to submit their expansion draft protection lists to the NHL and NHL Players' Association.

The Seattle Kraken will start to fill out their roster during the expansion draft Wednesday.

There had been speculation leading up to the regular-season trade deadline April 12 that Ellis' long-term outlook with the Predators wasn't promising.

Elliotte Friedman reported in March that Ellis had been considered untouchable but that "something's made the Predators think."

Ellis has six years remaining on the eight-year, $50 million deal he signed in August 2018.

That contract should fit well for Philadelphia, which is trying to get better in the short term but also has a long-term outlook in mind after missing the playoffs twice in the past three years.

Ellis missed six weeks last season after undergoing surgery on his upper body in March. He finished with 18 points in 35 games during the regular season. The 30-year-old was terrific with five points in six games in Nashville's first-round playoff loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Philadelphia did sell low on Patrick, who scored just nine points and was minus-30 in 52 games last season. The Golden Knights are betting the 22-year-old will return to the level he showed over the previous two years, when he scored 61 points in 145 games. 

The addition of Ellis made Myers expendable for the Flyers. Myers is 24 years old and will give the Predators a plug-and-play defenseman alongside Mattias Ekholm.   

The Dallas Stars announced Saturday they've signed defenseman Miro Heiskanen to an eight-year, $67.6 million contract extension.

Heiskanen is now linked to the Stars through the 2028-29 NHL season with an annual salary-cap hit of $8.45 million.

"It feels great to get this done," Heiskanen said. "Of course there is a lot of work to be done and we're very motivated to get back on the ice. It is very exciting to be a part of what [general manager] Jim [Nill] and his staff are building, and it's important to reward them for the trust they've shown with this long-term commitment."

The 21-year-old Finnish blueliner was selected by Dallas with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 draft, and he's quickly emerged as one of the league's most promising two-way defensemen.

He's recorded 95 points (28 goals and 67 assists) in 205 regular-season games. His relative Fenwick percentage is 3.8 points higher than his Stars teammates on average across his first three seasons, per Hockey Reference.

Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic projected Heiskanen will be worth 17.3 wins during the length of his new contract and provided a look at some recent comparables:

Nill said the club was "excited" to announce the extension with one of the league's rising stars:

Since joining us, it has been clear that Miro is part of a collection of young, rising stars that are now playing in the National Hockey League. As an organization, we truly feel that Miro has just scratched the surface of his ability and will be in the Norris Trophy discussion for years to come. On behalf of [team owner] Tom Gagliardi, his family, and our organization, we want to thank Miro for his commitment to the team and we all look forward to watching him as he continues to evolve into one of the elite players of the game.

Heiskanen joins Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Esa Lindell and Radek Faksa as members of the Stars' core who are signed through at least 2024-25.

Dallas missed the playoffs by four points last season with a 23-19-14 record. The front office's offseason focus will likely be upgrading an offense that ranked 19th in goals per game (2.74). The Heiskanen-led defense was seventh in goals allowed per contest (2.60).

The Stars have an estimated $5.8 million in cap space, the league's third-lowest total, per CapFriendly. They could gain more flexibility via the Seattle Kraken exhibition draft Wednesday and via trades during the standard draft next Friday and Saturday.

Regardless, keeping Heiskanen for the long haul was a no-brainer despite the high cap hit. He'll be a strong Norris Trophy contender in the coming seasons, especially if Dallas improves as a whole.

Veteran winger Gabriel Landeskog is reportedly interested in several teams if he is unable to come to terms on a new contract with the Colorado Avalanche.

According to Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders, St. Louis Blues and Florida Panthers are among the teams on the impending free agent's wish list.

Landeskog, 28, was the No. 2 overall pick by the Avalanche in the 2011 NHL draft, and he has spent his entire 10-year NHL career in Colorado.

The Swedish star figures to be one of the top players available in free agency on the heels of some of the most productive seasons of his career.

In 2018-19, Landeskog set career highs with 34 goals and 41 assists for 75 points over 73 games. He was also named an All-Star for the first and only time in his career to date.

He followed that up with 44 points in 54 games the following season and then experienced another spike in production in 2020-21 with 20 goals and 32 assists for 52 points in 54 games.

The 2011-12 Calder Trophy winner as NHL rookie of the year has played a significant role in the Avalanche reaching the playoffs in each of the past four seasons, and he is a key leader for the team as well, having been the captain since 2012.

In addition to his leadership, Landeskog is a big-time point producer with 218 goals and 294 assists for 512 points in 687 career regular-season games.

He is also known for being a responsible defensive player with a career rating of plus-50 and a double-digit plus rating in three of the past four seasons.

The Avs have not yet broken through and reached a Stanley Cup Final during Landeskog's career, but they are clearly on the brink after winning the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's top regular-season team in 2020-21.

Most of the teams mentioned by Strickland as potential landing spots for Landeskog are among the top organizations in the NHL.

The Lightning are the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champions and the Golden Knights have made it to at least the conference finals in three of their four seasons in existence.

The Islanders have reached the conference finals in each of the past two seasons as well, and the Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019.

Toronto has reached the playoffs in each of the past five seasons, losing in the first round each time, although Landeskog could be the type of signing that helps put them over the top.

The Panthers are a team on the rise with back-to-back playoff appearances, and they even finished ahead of the Lightning in the Central Division this season.

Landeskog is a do-everything player that winning teams are built on, and he would be not only a huge gain for whichever team signs him, but a massive loss for the Avs if they are unable to retain him.

Former Chicago Blackhawks skills coach Paul Vincent told TSN's Rick Westhead he will not participate in an investigation into the team's alleged mishandling of sexual assault claims in 2010 unless the findings are publicly released:

Vincent told TSN that in a meeting in San Jose, California, with then-Blackhawks president John McDonough, vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac, general manager Stan Bowman and team sports psychologist James Gary ahead of the Western Conference Final in 2010, he shared allegations from two Blackhawks players who said then-video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted them. Vincent, a former law enforcement officer in Massachusetts, said he asked the team to contact the sex crimes division of the Chicago police.

Vincent said the front office declined to do so.

The Blackhawks are currently facing two lawsuits related to Aldrich's time with the franchise. One from a former player who says the team ignored the allegations against Aldrich and another from a former high school hockey player in Michigan whom Aldrich sexually abused three years later in 2013. The second lawsuit says the Blackhawks provided Aldrich with a positive reference, allowing him to remain in the sport and continue abusing players.

While the team has filed motions to dismiss both cases, the Blackhawks retained the law firm Jenner & Block to conduct an investigation into the matter.

Vincent is now the second prominent figure central to the investigation to pressure the Blackhawks to make its findings public.

The lawyer for the former Chicago player suing the team said her client, known in court documents as John Doe 1, will not cooperate with the Jenner & Block probe, citing the team's actions leading up to the announcement of the investigation.

"The Blackhawks have been lying all along, denying in court documents that this sexual misconduct even took place, so why would we have any faith now in an investigation that has been paid for by the Blackhawks?" attorney Susan Loggans told Westhead on July 9. "Also, there is no assurance from anyone, not at the Blackhawks and not at the NHL, that the results of the team's investigation will be made public. Why would we bother to participate in an investigation that may ultimately be buried and hidden from public view?"

Loggans said she would have allowed her client to participate in the team investigation if Jenner & Block had agreed to her interviewing Bowman, MacIsaac, Gary and McDonough.

Loggans said the request was denied.

"All I wanted was equal treatment," Loggans said. "The team says its lawyer is now doing an investigation, and I am doing an investigation. We're both attorneys with clients. No different. The Blackhawks are just looking to gain credibility by saying it will have another investigation but this is all just window dressing."

On Tuesday, 2009-10 Blackhawks defenseman Brent Sopel urged his former teammates to begin "telling the truth publicly" about being aware of the allegations at the time. Sopel said the allegations were discussed by players in the locker room during the Western Conference Final.

"...I'd say pretty much every player said, 'Holy s--t' and was shocked by it," Sopel told Westhead. "We were all in the same dressing room. It was something that was discussed for at least two or three days. [Then head coach Joel] Quenneville was in the same office as [Aldrich]. We heard about it."

Then-assistant coach John Torchetti told Westhead he recalls Vincent telling him that he advised the front office to call Chicago police but does not remember Vincent explaining the outcome of the meeting.

"It's so upsetting, it's so glaring, because of what this guy was able to do after he left the Blackhawks," Torchetti said. "You have to know what kind of guy Paul Vincent is. This guy is loyal to a fault, the most loyal guy you are going to meet in the game. His background helps explain why he gets so upset about issues like abuse."

No timeline has been provided for the completion of the Jenner & Block investigation.

Zach Parise and Ryan Suter were taken aback when the Minnesota Wild decided to buy out the final four years on each of their contracts. 

Michael Russo of The Athletic reported on Tuesday that Wild general manager Bill Guerin informed both players by phone call their deals were being bought out. 

Speaking to Russo about the move, Parise explained he was "caught off guard" when Guerin told him about the decision. 

“I had a feeling something was gonna happen, but when it does happen, you’re still shocked," Parise added.

Things with Suter didn't go very smoothly, as Russo noted the four-time All-Star hung up on Guerin during their call. 

Guerin told reporters during a press conference on Tuesday the decision to part ways with Suter and Parise was made with the long-term interest of the franchise in mind. 

"It was a very difficult decision [made] over lots of time and lots of meetings" he said. "Lots of things went into this decision, but it's a big decision that I feel we needed to make in order to keep moving forward."

While Parise said he "had a feeling something" was going to happen with him, he did not see Suter's buyout coming "at all."

“I thought Ryan played really well this year. I did," said Parise. "I thought Ryan had a great season and played well for us like he always has. He’s a top-four D-man in this league. Very surprised.”

Suter and Parise signed matching 13-year, $98 million contracts to join the Wild in July 2012. Those deals paid immediate dividends, as the franchise made the playoffs in each of the next six seasons after missing the postseason from 2008-2012. 

Minnesota did start to slip in 2018-19, finishing last in the Central Division. Things did turn around slightly after that, with two playoff appearances in each of the past two seasons. The team was eliminated in the qualifying round in 2020 and in the first round in 2021. 

Suter had just 19 points in 56 games in 2020-21, his fewest in a single season since he was a rookie. Parise's seven goals and 18 points last season were his fewest in a season in which he played at least 40 games.    

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog doesn't sound optimistic about his future with the team as he prepares to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career, . 

Speaking to The Athletic's Peter Baugh, Landeskog said he's "a little bit disappointed" with the state of his contract talks with the Avs. 

“The uncertainty is something I’ve never dealt with,” he added. “I’ve always known that come September, October, I’m going to pull on that Avs jersey.”

Colorado is facing several key roster decisions this offseason that could leave Landeskog on the outside looking in. 

Former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Sopel said his 2009-10 teammates should be "telling the truth publicly" about being aware of the allegations of sexual assault against then-video coach Brad Aldrich.

In an interview with TSN's Rick Westhead, the retired NHL veteran said most of the players and coaches knew during the 2010 Western Conference Final that two Blackhawks players had accused Aldrich of sexual assault.

"...I'd say pretty much every player said, 'Holy s--t' and was shocked by it," Sopel said. "We were all in the same dressing room. It was something that was discussed for at least two or three days. [Then head coach Joel] Quenneville was in the same office as [Aldrich]. We heard about it."

The Blackhawks are facing two lawsuits related to Aldrich. One from a former player who says the team covered up Aldrich's abuse and another from a former high school hockey player in Houghton, Michigan, who Aldrich abused three years later in 2013. The second lawsuit says the Blackhawks provided Aldrich with a positive reference, allowing him to remain in hockey and continue assaulting players.

Multiple members of the 2010 Blackhawks have corroborated that then-skills coach Paul Vincent met with team president John McDonough, vice president Al MacIsaac and general manager Stan Bowman ahead of the Western Conference Final in San Jose, California, to discuss calling Chicago police. The front office reportedly declined to do so. Aldrich remained with the club through a successful Stanley Cup Final run and departed the following offseason. He served nine months in prison after pleading guilty to criminal sexual conduct with the high school player in Michigan.

The NHL franchise denies the allegations and is seeking to dismiss both suits.

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, who, other than Patrick Kane, is the only remaining member of the 2009-10 team still playing for Chicago, recently told The Athletic's Mark Lazerus he was unaware of the allegations against Aldrich until the start of training camp in 2010-11 and refuted that everyone on the team knew, something an unnamed Blackhawks player had previously told The Athletic.

"When that player commented that everybody on the team knew, that wasn't true," Toews said. "As far as I know, some guys may have caught whispers of it and some guys were clueless until the next year. I don't think that was an accurate statement."

Sopel told Westhead members of the 2009-10 team may have a financial incentive to keep quiet about the alleged cover-up.

"I understand that doing the right thing is hard," Sopel said. "A lot of those guys who were on that 2009-10 team are still with the Blackhawks getting paid and they're either still playing, or in broadcasting or coaching, management or scouting or being an ambassador for the team. That's why they are not saying anything. Guys want to protect their jobs. But they should still be doing the right thing and telling the truth publicly about what happened."

Sopel said he assumed "for years" the Blackhawks had contacted local authorities about the allegations. After learning that was not the case, Sopel said he feared the Blackhawks would retaliate against his charity if he went public with what he knew in 2010. The Brent Sopel Foundation raises funds for children with dyslexia, a condition the 44-year-old Canadian has. 

Sopel said players may also struggle to speak openly because of the culture around the sport beginning at the youth level.

"Other sports like baseball, basketball and football, most of those guys are going to university for at least a few years and growing up a bit more," Sopel said. "In hockey, we're moving away from home at 15 to play junior hockey, riding 25 hours on a bus. Our lives are only hockey. That's it. Everything revolves around the sport. Many guys aren't equipped to talk about anything else."